In 2008, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a bill sponsored by state Senator Alex Padilla that required state restaurants to list their food’s nutritional content.
An amendment made in June now requires food establishments to disclose calorie counts of their food, much to the chagrin of fast food joints. It’s an admirable feature for conscious restaurant-goers, but a certain provision on the bill is jarring.
An addition to the amendment is a ban on the sale of sodas in high schools, following a pre-existing ban on sodas in elementary and middle schools.
Padilla plans to hold a hearing on the link between soda consumption and obesity and crusade against what many have called a ‘national epidemic.’
‘I don’t think most parents truly appreciate the role soda pop has in causing weight gain,’ Padilla said in an article from Reuters.com.’
He also pointed out that healthier drinks like milk and bottled water are more expensive than soda.
Padilla’s hearing stems from findings about soda consumption from a study conducted by the California Center for Public Health Advocacy and UCLA Center for Health Policy Research.’
The study states that a quarter of the adult population drinks at least one soda a day, with 27 percent of those adults being overweight. The numbers for children are much more staggering: researchers found 62 percent of 12 to 17-year-olds drank at least one soda a day.
There are two important factors contributing to obesity – the consumer and their sense of control.’
Though it’s true that sodas are full of empty calories and sugar and have been linked to weight problems, soda drinkers are responsible for their decisions.
Padilla’s policy to disclose the calorie counts in restaurant food may be new, but the nutritional facts on soda bottles have been available since 1968.’ It’s not like people don’t already know these facts.’
A 12-ounce can of Coca-Cola contains a total of 150 calories and nearly 40 grams of sugar. The popular 44-ounce cups offered at fast food joints will cost you nearly 535 calories and 150 grams of sugar.’
People are quick to blame sodas, among other things, for rising obesity rates. It’s time to stop picking on the products and start picking on the people that use them.
Last year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published a report stating that Americans don’t exercise enough to offset the amount of calories that are taken in. Only 49 percent of those surveyed said they were meeting goals of at least two and a half hours of moderate activity a week.
Students shouldn’t have a problem with this. After all, just walking around campus is sure to burn off plenty of calories. On top of that, student fee bills cover membership to the Campus Wellness and Recreation Center.’
Other guilty pleasures, such as cake, potato chips and even oatmeal cream pies, are also shunned in weight-control plans. What’s next – shutting down the Keebler elf shack or Hellmann’s Mayonnaise factory?
Padilla and other like-minded health crusaders must remember that drinking a Dr. Pepper or eating a Big Grab of Doritos is the consumer’s choice.
